Skylarks
by Emotive Gothika
Summary: From his infancy to teen years, she has watched the little skylark, her baby brother's growth. Drabbles revolving around Hibari and his sister. Will contain shounen-ai/yaoi in later chapters.
1. Birth of a Skylark

**Chapter:** I

**Title:** Birth of a Skylark

**Disclaimer:** Ownership of Katekyo Hitman Reborn does not belong to me.

**A/N:** This won't be anything special, just something to chase off the plot bunnies. Don't think that I'm going to update this regularly though. And this may contain shounen-ai and yaoi in later chapters because I'm hopeless like that. But don't fret; there will probably be a straight pairing in here somewhere… but I wouldn't count on it…

-

Hibari Kiyomi was only three years old when he was born. For nine months she waited for him, sometimes listening to him in her mother's belly and getting kicked in the face in the process. But now, after a long day of waiting anxiously at home, her father, Hibari Kyou, decided she was ready to meet her new little brother.

Kiyomi was all smiles when she hopped out of the car and looked up at the big hospital building, feeling her tiny heart beat against her chest in a mixture of excitement and nervousness. She held her father's hand tightly in hers as he led her through the hospital, walking through a long white hallway before coming to a private room. When Kiyomi first stepped inside the room, the first thing she saw was her mother, Hibari Keiko, resting on the big white bed and holding a bundle of blankets in her arms.

Practically giggling with excitement, she ran up to her mother's side and clambered up the chair that sat next to the bed. Both her parents chuckled and her father hoisted her up onto the bed so she can sit next to her tired looking mother. She curiously peeked into the bundle of blankets her mother held and there snuggled up inside was her sleeping baby brother. To Kiyomi, he didn't look like much sleeping so peacefully. But he was still her baby brother and she knew that he'll eventually look like those cute babies one sees on TV.

"Ne, Kachan, whatsis name?" Kiyomi asked in that high-pitched voice of hers.

"Kyouya," Keiko answered, smiling softly at her daughter.

"Kyouya…" Kiyomi repeated, looking at her baby brother again. She knew that he was helpless like that. He didn't know anything about the outside world yet and he was depending on Kiyomi to be a good big sister and tell him everything she already knew.

Nodding her head at her decision, Kiyomi faced both her parents and said with a determined face, "Ne, I promise I'll protect him and be the bestest big sister in the world!"

Her parents chuckled at their daughter again and they both nodded, causing Kiyomi to grin widely.

She was going to protect him with her life and be the best big sis she can be.

-

**A/N:** Don't look at me like that. I'm not three years old anymore, so forgive Kiyomi's lack of grammar or whatnot. Reviewing is a must, so if you don't, I'll sick my cute little OC on you… she can pack a mean punch, even as a kid because that's how Hibari's are supposed to be. LOL, I'm just kidding :)


	2. Homecoming

**Chapter:** II

**Title:** Homecoming

**A/N:** More toddler fluffiness because I like cute little kids. Must be the shotacon lover in me :)

-

Kiyomi watched from the doorway as her mother set Baby Kyouya down in his crib, cooing sweet words to him as she tucked him in. After being in the hospital for the past week, Keiko was finally able to come back home and she looked pretty tired. It wasn't a surprise because Keiko had always hated to go to the hospital. She once said to Kiyomi that why would a place of healing look so cold? Of course, Kiyomi didn't understand her and just continued to play with the teddy bear that she brought with her.

Kiyomi smiled up at her mother as she walked past her and the older woman patted her head before heading to her room to rest. The little Hibari turned back to the littlest Hibari and approached his crib to peer in between the bars and watch his tiny chest rise and fall with each breath.

He looked so helpless and little. But not Kiyomi. She was already a big girl and she knew how to change her clothes and put away her toys and color inside the lines like big kids should do. And even though she promised to protect her brother with her life, it wouldn't do if he couldn't even defend himself, even just a little.

"Ne, Kyou-chan, guess what?" Kiyomi whispered to her sleeping brother. "When you're big like me, you're going to learn how to fight too! Touchan will teach the both of us how to fight with tonfa, cool right?"

She only got silence as an answer, but she didn't really mind. Kiyomi knew that her brother was going to be excited about it and the both of them were going to have fun learning from their father, who is a master when it comes to wielding tonfas.

"Ah! I almost forgot!"

Grinning with excitement, Kiyomi dug into her pocket and brought out a small bracelet that she made with the help of her babysitter. It was made from red and purple thread, knotted tightly together to make a pretty bracelet. Since she didn't know how to tie it onto wrists yet, she just placed the bracelet right next to Kyouya's sleeping head, hoping he'll be happy when he sees her present.

"Welcome home, Kyou-chan."


	3. Jealousy

**Chapter:** III

**Title:** Jealousy

**A/N:** I got this from my own experiences with my own little brother. But God knows I love him to bits :)

-

Kyouya was getting all of the attention and when Kiyomi realized that, she'd get a tightening in her chest and she'd feel sick to her stomach. Her mother was always so busy with the newest addition to the family; feeding him and bathing him, changing his diapers and rocking him to sleep. Even her father started neglecting her a bit because he was taking care of Keiko who just seemed to be tired all the time.

Kiyomi knew that she was feeling jealous, even though she didn't know what the word was exactly. She frowned whenever her father didn't read her a story before bedtime or her mother didn't brush her hair in the mornings and she had to do it herself (though her mother intervened before she could lose chunks of hair). And she missed it when it was just the three of them hanging out and having fun. Kiyomi remembered that her parents always brought her to fun places on the weekends like the amusement park or the zoo. But now, they barely had any time for her.

And they barely even let her hold little Kyou-chan!

The elder sibling was thinking all of these things as she frowned at her baby brother, who was sucking on his fingers as he lay in his crib, looking at anything that moved and making gurgling sounds. It has been three months since he had been born and he definitely looked cuter now that he had grown a tuft of midnight black hair (which was a trait the whole family had) and his eyes now shone a bright blue-gray.

"Why do you have to be so cute and get all the attention?" Kiyomi pouted as she gripped the bars of the crib and peered at her brother.

She only got gurgling as an answer, which was probably the only answer Kyouya would give until he learned how to talk. But as Kiyomi watched her little brother play with his fingers and wiggle around on his bed, she found her jealousy ebbing away and she was actually smiling at her brother.

"You're cheating, being so cute," she said with a small chuckle as she reached out to her brother and stroked his soft cheek.

Tiny hands grasped hers and a second later, Kiyomi was giggling as Kyouya sucked on her fingers. She was just glad that she washed her hands before visiting.

She may feel some jealousy every once and a while, but Kiyomi always found a way to forgive her little brother for being so cute. Or rather, Kyouya always found a way to make her forgive him.


	4. Teething

**Chapter:** IV

**Title:** Teething

**A/N:** I know what six words are going through your mind right now... it includes teeth and death, right? :D

-

Kyouya was teething and that was a bit of a pain for the Hibari family. He would practically wake up everyone in the house because of his late night wailings from the discomfort, but Kiyomi knew that it was a normal process in babies, as her mother explained to her.

But still, she wished she could do something to stop her brother's discomfort. Not only was it keeping her awake at night, but she also felt sad when her brother was in so much pain.

"This little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed home," Kiyomi cooed at Kyouya, wiggling each corresponding toe to the classic nursery rhyme. "This little piggy had roast beef, this little piggy had none, and this little piggy cried wee wee wee, all the way home!"

Kiyomi lightly tickled her brother, who squealed in delight. The elder Hibari laughed, loving playtime with her brother who was currently biting down on a Micky Mouse-shaped teething ring as they played. Kyouya was getting big now, but at least Kiyomi was now able to hold him without much fuss from her parents.

"Kiyomi, did you clean your room?" Keiko's voice softly called out as she peeked into the playroom.

Said little girl looked up and nodded at her mother, saying, "Yes Kachan, I cleaned it."

"Well then how about taking a bath?"

As Kiyomi complained about having already taken a bath the previous night, she didn't notice that Kyouya had taken her hand and was holding it tightly in his fist, staring at it with wide blue-gray eyes.

"Take a bath now young lady or no dessert tonight."

Kiyomi sighed and muttered an "okay" before her mother left the room. She was just about to turn back to her brother to continue their playing when she felt a sharp pain on her fingers accompanied by a feeling of wetness. Wincing but able to restrain herself from jerking her hand away, Kiyomi gave Kyouya a twitchy smile as the younger Hibari bit down on her fingers with his teeth that jutted out from his gums, his teething ring lying abandoned next to him.

Kyouya's two most favorite things to bite were his teething ring and his sister's fingers. Kiyomi would be extremely grateful when his teething process has stopped. And she hoped it would stop before her baby brother bit her to death.


	5. First Steps

**Chapter:** V

**Title:** First Steps

**A/N:** Ha, I finally updated this. Now I just have try and update my other stories. ¬_¬

* * *

"You can do it Kyou-chan! C'mon!"

It was just after dinner and the Hibari family was in their living room for a little family time. The TV was on, showing a rather humorous and somewhat stupid game show, but none of the Hibari family members were paying attention to it.

Instead, their eyes were on the littlest member as he bobbed on unsteady legs, about to try taking his first steps.

Kyouya was already ten months old, but he was a strong baby and could already stand up with a little help. Kiyomi always had fun helping Kyouya walk, holding his tiny hands as he took some unsteady steps forward.

Right now, it was Keiko who was helping Kyouya stand, her hands supporting his little body as she knelt behind him. Kiyomi was kneeling just a few feet away, her arms held up in a beckoning motion. Kyou sat on the couch, watching the scene with a fond smile on his lips.

"Let go Kachan! Kyou-chan will come to me, you'll see!"

Keiko chuckled softly at her daughter. "Okay, here he goes."

She let go of Baby Kyouya and what happened next was one for the Hibari history books.

Instead of taking a few wobbly steps toward his sister, Kyouya let out an excited squeal and _ran_ towards her without faltering. Kiyomi, though surprised at what her brother just did, was able to catch him with an "oof!" for he practically barreled into her. Meanwhile Keiko and Kyou's eyes were wide in surprised and they exchanged looks of disbelief.

"Well," Kyou said casually, the look of disbelief turning into amusement. "We Hibari's _are_ full of surprises."

Keiko snorted and she tried to hold back her smile but failed spectacularly. She had first-hand experience on how many surprises a Hibari can hold and it seemed like her hope of her son being a normal boy was shot down to pieces.

"Kyou-chan, you did so grea- OW! Kyou-chan, stop biting me!"

* * *

**A/N:** Again, this was based off my experiences with my own brother. He didn't learn how to walk... he learned how to run first. I'm not even sure if he learned how to crawl! He was a very hyperactive kid and once he was able to run, he would run everywhere. He was like the freakkin' Energizer bunny from hell. I'm surprised we didn't put him on a leash... but at least he grew up okay. Still an annoying dork, but okay. And at least he was mine to corrupt! *evil laugh* XD


	6. Tear You to Pieces

**Chapter:** VI

**Title:** Tear You to Pieces

**A/N:** I know you all love Baby Kyouya but it's time to move on a bit. So this is a time skip! And introducing protective Kiyomi!

* * *

The day was bright and sunny with no cloud in sight. The small neighborhood park was filled with laughing children climbing on the jungle gym, sliding down the slide, and playing around in the sandbox. The children's parents sat on benches nearby, keeping an eye on their offspring while chatting idly with friends.

One little boy sat alone in one sandbox, entertaining himself making a castle with his tiny shovel and pail. He was an adorable boy with wide blue-grey eyes, a floppy mop of jet black hair, rosy chubby cheeks, and was wearing a blue shirt under short overalls that had a little duck on the front pocket. This boy was Hibari Kyouya, four years old, and was about to get his first taste of bullying.

The castle that the littlest Hibari had been working on was suddenly smashed into the ground by a pair of shoes. Blinking in surprise, Kyouya looked up to see a much bigger boy standing before him, surrounded by a posse of four other boys who were snickering rather rudely.

"Hey, this here's _my_ sandbox!" the boy that smashed Kyouya's sandcastle said, grinning cheekily and showing off the fact that he was missing his two front teeth. "Unless you want to get hurt, I say you get out of here!"

Kyouya, looking a little confused and a lot hurt (his castle was ruined!), just craned his head to look up the boy and pouted angrily, "But I got hewe fiwst. And you'we being wude. Kachan said dat being wude is bad, so you'we being a bad boy."

The bad boy in question got red in the face at being berated by a boy half his age. Was he going to take that? Of course not! He was older and stronger and this was his sandbox and no one else's! The little punk was going to pay…

Growling in anger, the boy grabbed Kyouya by the front of his overalls and lifted him up easily. "So what if I'm a rude, bad boy? There's nothing you can do about it!" he practically yelled in Kyouya's face, shaking him and scaring the smaller boy with each shake. Once the rude boy was finished with his short rant, he threw Kyouya down onto the sand hard enough to make the smaller boy's teeth rattle.

And of course, tears started to form in Kyouya's eyes accompanied by a wobbling bottom lip. He managed not to make a sound but he couldn't stop the tears from flowing freely down his cheeks. The older boys that surrounded him laughed at his misery, teasing and poking fun at him. Kyouya didn't like it at all. These boys were being rude and were hurting him! He wanted his Kachan! And his Neechan! They'll be able to chase these mean boys away!

"Oi! What do you think you're doing to my brother?"

The boys stopped laughing and turned their heads to face a livid Kiyomi, who had her hands clenched at her sides and her eyes set in a fierce glare that she learned from her mother (whose glares were always more effective then her father's). At the sight of his sister, Kyouya scrambled up from where he was sitting and ran to her, reaching out to grab her sundress as he started babbling.

"Neechan! I was making sandcastles and den dese boys smashed dem and dey'we being mean and wude and didn't Kachan say being mean and wude was bad? And den dey make my bottom huwt and dey'we laughing at me when nuthin's funny and… and… and…"

Seeing her precious baby brother in distress made Kiyomi's heart constrict and her anger spike, but she reigned in on her emotions for the moment as she took out a handkerchief form her pocket and began wiping Kyouya's wet face. "Shhh, Kyou-chan, don't worry," she cooed, coaxing Kyouya to blow his nose on the handkerchief. "Let Neechan take care of those boys, all right?"

With his bottom lip still wobbling, Kyouya nodded his consent and released his grip on Kiyomi's skirt, continuing to wipe his nose with her handkerchief. Those boys were being bad and he knew that his big sister was going to teach them a lesson. He was told that it was Kiyomi's job as his big sister that she taught those who were being mean to him a lesson.

Seeing that her brother was going to be all right, Kiyomi turned her attention back to the group of boys, glaring fiercely again. At first the boys cringed for it seemed like a demon was glaring out of the little girl's eyes, but they gathered their courage and stood firm in front of her.

"You hurt my baby brother," Kiyomi stated calmly but it was obvious that she was angry. "Now I'm going to hurt you."

The boys laughed hard at this. It only fueled Kiyomi's anger.

"And what are you gonna do about it, _little girl_?" the boy that hurt Kyouya said haughtily. As if a girl could hurt him!

Unfortunately for them, that was the straw that broke the camel's back. Grinning in a way that made her look almost feral, Kiyomi produced a pair of wooden tonfa from somewhere on her person and brandished them almost expertly. The boys began to look a little nervous for, coupled with the tonfa and grin, there was now a purple aura emitting from the little girl's body, making her look very dangerous.

"What am I going to do?" Kiyomi asked rhetorically as she approached the now scared-looking boys. "Well… I'm going to tear you to pieces, that's what."

A few moments later, a slightly tired Kiyomi returned to her brother's side, giggling slightly at his awed look.

"Neechan… are dey gunna be okay?" Kyouya asked, his eyes on the boys who were now on the ground, groaning and clutching their bodies in pain.

"They will be," said the older Hibari as she took the younger's hand and leg him away. "Now, let's go find Kachan and ask for some ice cream, 'kay?"

Kyouya visibly brightened up at the mention of ice cream. "Un!" he exclaimed, smiling happily and swinging his and his sister's conjoined hands as they went to their mother on the other side of the park.

And it was still such a nice day.

* * *

**A/N:** So that's where Kyouya gets his violence from. LOL Kiyomi has her own catchphrase now! Yay! She is now seven years old and yes, I'm pretty sure seven-year-olds can wield tonfas if they're capable. And since she's a Hibari I'm sure she's more then capable.

Do you now love Preschool Kyouya with his wibbling and his lisps? I know I do. LOL My brother used to have the same lisp but only with his r's, not th's. That made for a lot of laughs…


	7. Dress Up

**Chapter:** VII

**Title:** Dress Up

**A/N:** Here are some childish antics which I had fun with. Sadly, this did not happen in my experiences with my little brother, which is probably a good thing… for him. XD

Kyouya patiently sat in his tiny chair as his sister brushed his hair, ridding his usually messy mop of any tangles. He had wanted to play with his cars with Kiyomi, like they always did (surprisingly, Kiyomi not only played with dolls, but with cars and other boy toys as well) but his sister convinced him to play a different game instead.

"Awe you dun yet?" asked the younger Hibari as he watched his toes flex and his hands fiddle with the frills of the dress Kiyomi help him put on. He was told that the dress was something Kiyomi used to wear when she was his age. It was all white with frills and ribbons and poofy sleeves. It was kind of itchy too, but that was remedied with a light scratch and a little adjusting of material.

"Almost," Kiyomi said absently as she tugged the last few tangles out of Kyouya's hair, murmuring an apology when she tugged too hard.

It was times like these when she wished she had a little sister instead of a little brother. A little sister would have been easier to live with since they would both be girls and share the same interests and play the same games. Perhaps Kiyomi would teach her all about being a young woman alongside their mother when they were older. But of course there was no taking back Kyouya now. Not only would their parents would say no, but Kiyomi now loved him too much already to send him away in exchange for a little sister.

"Neechan? Why do you wan' to make me into a giwl?" Kyouya asked, still fiddling with the frilly skirt around his legs.

"I don't want to make you a girl," Kyouya answered patiently as she bundled up half of Kyouya's hair to the side of his head before securing it with a white barrette. "I just want to dress you up like a girl." She proceeded to bundle up the hair on the other side of her brother's head.

"But you have dolls to play wit' like that." Now Kyouya sounded like he was pouting. It must be the itchy dress.

"But I have no dolls that are as big as you," Kiyomi said, securing the second pigtail tightly. She stood in front of her brother and eyed him as critically as a seven-year-old born in the Hibari family could.

Her brother looked almost exactly like she did when she was four, only with shorter hair and possibly a rounder face. The pigtails she made weren't as good as her mother's, seeing as they were a bit lopsided, but it will do. Nodding her satisfaction and then grinning, Kiyomi helped her brother stand and pulled him towards the door.

"Let's go show Touchan and Kachan!" she exclaimed, nearly dragging Kyouya out of the room.

The little boy wanted to protest for even he knew that dresses were for girls and he wasn't sure how their parents would react to him wearing one. But it was too late now for they had entered the kitchen where their father was sitting at the table and their mother was preparing lunch.

"Kachan, Touchan, look! I have a little sister now!" Kiyomi said excitedly, pushing her brother forward to show off her handy work.

One look at his son had Kyou hacking and coughing up the tea he had been sipping. Keiko paused in chopping the carrots, but then she pressed her lips together tightly, trying to stop a laugh from escaping her mouth.

"Th-That's… uh…" Kyou started to say once he stopped coughing but he was a bit lost for words. It wasn't everyday that a father has to face his four-year-old being dressed as a girl.

At her husband's speechlessness, Keiko let out the laugh that bubbled in her and she set aside her cooking. "I have got to take a picture of this," she said, wiping her hands on a dish towel as she hurried out of the kitchen.

Kiyomi only grinned proudly, not aware of the impact she had made on her father. Kyouya on the other hand was looking a little confused but then he smiled when his father gave the two of them a fond, exasperated smile and his mother entered the room again, camera in hand and still giggling at her adorable "daughters".

As he posed for the camera, Kyouya thought that maybe it was okay if he was dressed like this every once in a while. If only to see those smiles on his family's faces again.

**A/N:** I couldn't help myself. I just love making my characters crossdress, whether they're little or not. If I ever have a son in the future, I might do that to him as well (poor boy, he doesn't even exist yet and I'm already setting him up for embarrassment and perhaps trauma XD). If my future daughter did that to my future son, I'd react the same way Keiko did because that's just the way I am. LOL


	8. Crowding

**Chapter:** VIII

**Title:** Crowding

**A/N:** I'm pretty sure the title speaks for itself.

* * *

Kiyomi and Kyouya watched in fascination as the crowds of women practically shoved and stepped on each other to get to the pile of half-priced shirts. It was like watching a pack of rabid lions fighting over the carcass of a particularly juicy zebra. It was horrifying to watch, yet neither of them could look away.

In the midst of the pack was Keiko, a determined glint in her eyes and a growl on her lips. She had her eyes on a cute purple top that would look great with her new skirt, but when she grabbed it someone else did too and the fight was on.

Kiyomi and Kyouya winced when they clearly heard their mother yell, "Back off bitch, that top is mine!" and that gave them the incentive to look away and pretend that the woman who was currently engaged in a cat-fight over a blouse was someone they did not know.

Sometimes, their mother was really scary.

Feeling bored, Kiyomi tugged on her brother's hand and they went to explore a little, making sure that their mother (or at least the crowd their mother was in) was still in sight. They approached a rack of jeans that were thirty percent off and Kiyomi looked through the pants, liking some of the sparkly designs that were on some of them.

Suddenly, a worker came over to the rack and switched the thirty percent off sign to fifty percent off. Kiyomi then had a bad feeling, which escalated when someone shouted out "half-priced pants!"

The ground practically trembled as the women stampeded over to the pants rack. With a yell, Kiyomi and Kyouya disappeared between the legs of desperate shoppers. They were jostled and pushed and Kyouya would have been stepped on if it wasn't for Kiyomi's quick reflexes. It was like they were stuck in rapids and they couldn't control where they were going, only having to follow the current even if it led them to bash against rocks. It was frightening and bruising and suffocating. Kyouya was very near crying as he clung to his sister like a starfish.

Finally, after what seemed like hours even though it was only perhaps a few seconds, the two young Hibaris stumbled out from the crowd and fell to the floor, panting. Kiyomi thanked every god she knew by name that she was alive and Kyouya was practically kissing the filthy floor in relief.

"Kiyomi, Kyouya, get off the floor, it's dirty," they heard their mother say and they were herded off by gentle hands to the shopping cart they had left behind. "Now watch the cart while mommy goes shop some more." And with what seemed to be a battle cry, Keiko dived back into the crowd that her children had just been released from.

For a few moments, Kiyomi and Kyouya were silent, their eyes wide as they watched their mother plow through the crowd for her goal. Then:

"Neechan?"

"Yes, Kyou-chan?"

"… I don't like cwowds…"

"Me too Kyou-chan. Me too."

* * *

**A/N:** Lol, just a humorous little thing on how Kyouya grew to hate crowds. It was because of past trauma! Kiyomi also doesn't like crowds, but she tolerates them at least. Not like Kyouya who breaks out in hives if he crowds around too much (that is canon people! I'm not lying! It was in the manga! XDDD).

Man, I am on a roll today. I updated this, updated my other story, and also posted a new Valentine's day story. I must have been really inspired, lol. Please review and have a happy Valentines Day! X3


	9. First Day

**Chapter:** VIIII

**Title:** First Day

**A/N:** More Kyouya cuteness! He's still four and innocent here, but he won't be for long... *ominous silence*

* * *

Kyouya was nearly bouncing on the balls of his feet as he waited for his sister to walk through the door. He had come home from his first day of school a couple hours ago and he had wanted to tell his beloved sister right away how his day went. But since Kiyomi was seven and went to big kid school, she came home later in the day and all by herself too. She didn't need Kachan or Touchan to pick her up or drop her off any more and though Kyouya was a little jealous of that, he understood.

Finally, the front door opened and Kiyomi stepped in, clad in her slightly messy school uniform and hat, her bag hanging off her back. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head though when Kyouya descended on her, babbling all the way.

"Neechan! I wen' ta school today and it was fun! My teachew's weal nice and we sang songs and played games and dwew pictuwes." At this, Kyouya fumbled at something he was hiding behind his back and presented it to Kiyomi. It was a picture made with crayon of four smiling stick figures, two big ones and two small ones. They all had black hair and blue eyes, though two had noticeably longer hair, and they were holding hands. A stripe of green below them signified grass and a stripe of blue above them was no doubt the sky. There was a round blob of yellow that was the sun and a poofy white cloud that was outlined in purple.

"Wow, Kyou-chan," Kiyomi said in genuine awe. "You drew such a pretty picture!"

Kyouya nodded excitedly. "Un! See, dewe's Neechan, and Kachan, and Touchan, and me in the pictuwe." Kyouya pointed to reach corresponding stick figure. "And da sky and gwass and cloud and sun! Neechan like it?"

"I love it very much Kyou-chan," Kiyomi giggled, ruffling her little brother's hair and delighting in the bright smile that she was rewarded with her affection. "Anything else interesting happen?"

The bright smile turned into a light frown now. "Dewe wewe boys being mean and wude to me again."

Kiyomi's blue-grey eyes narrowed menacingly. "What did they do?"

"Dey make fun of me and say dat I sound weiwd."

The older Hibari nearly growled. "I'll tear them to pieces!"

The little boy tilted his head to the side. "But… Neechan, what if you'we not dere to save me?"

At that Kiyomi blinked. She hadn't really thought of that. Of course she truly believed that she needed to protect her little brother at all times, but she knew that, deep down in her heart, Kyouya had to fight his own battles eventually. And really, what would happen if she wasn't really there? Would those boys hurt her precious little brother? Kyouya couldn't defend himself… yet.

"I know!" Kiyomi exclaimed, causing Kyouya to jump, startled. "We just have to start your training!"

Kyouya blinked in confusion. "Twei… nin'?"

"Un! You're going to learn how to use tonfa!"

"Like you and Touchan?"

"Yes! And also, you have to say something scary and cool so that when you say it, they know they're in trouble and that you're about to kick their butts!"

"Scawy and cool? Like when you say 'teaw you to pieces'?"

"Yeah! Only you can say… you'll bite them to death! Yeah, that's perfect!"

"Why dat?"

"Because you nearly did that to me when you were a baby."

Kyouya looked confused at his sister's ramblings, but he allowed himself to be dragged by Kiyomi to where their mother was, no doubt going to fill her in on their (really Kiyomi's) plan. Even though he didn't really understand what his sister was saying, he'll go along with it anyway. After all, his sister was always right and can do no wrong in his eyes.

* * *

**A/N:** Cute ain't it? Enjoy it while it lasts…. *more ominous silence*


	10. Despair

**Chapter:** X

**Title:** Despair

**A/N:** The title gives you a bad feeling doesn't it? Yeah, it's supposed to do that. Aside from the timeskip (Kyouya is now five and Kiyomi is eight) this chapter is sad. Get your tissues and break out the sad music peeps. I recommend Hitoribocchi no Sadame (Kyouya's first character song) and Serenade by Versailles (a beautifully sad song). I actually played those songs to get into the mood. So sad… *cuddles Kyouya and gets tonfa'd in the process*

**Warning/s:** Death, blood, violence, non-graphic non-con, and child abuse. Also, totally unrealistic scenarios. But hey, it's KHR. Everything about it is unrealistic, LOL

* * *

The little family had just been strolling through the park. It had been a normal day and everything had seemed fine. Until men in black suits suddenly surrounded them. Kiyomi couldn't remember what the men had been saying, but she remembered how frightened her mother looked, her arms wrapped around her and Kyouya, and she could remember her father's furious but determined words being thrown back at the men.

And then the men stormed at Kyou, blunt objects beating at him and fists and feet landing blows on his body. Kyou fought back valiantly, able to land plenty of blows of his own with his shining steel tonfa. But he was outnumbered. He was soon falling to the ground, his tonfa clattering somewhere out of his reach, and grunting in pain as they still continued to beat him while he was down.

Keiko, Kiyomi, and Kyouya were not let off. Though Keiko tried to escape, scooping up her two children in her arms and running, she was easily captured by the men. The kids were ripped from her grasps and held in tight grips. The three of them screamed, the two children for their parents and Keiko for her children. The men ignored them however and they started beating Keiko and forcing Kiyomi, Kyouya, and Kyou to watch. Keiko was far from submissive though, fighting back for all she's worth, bringing a smidgen of pride to the hearts of her loved ones. But it was futile. The men were too many and too strong. They forced her down and tore off her clothes before taking turns forcing themselves onto her.

Kyou screamed until his throat turned raw. He cursed at them, made threats to kill them, but he couldn't move from where he lay, forced to watch as his wife was thoroughly violated. It was little comfort to see that Keiko still struggled through her pain and humiliation. His wife was strong, he knew that, that was why he fell in love with her, but the men were stronger. If only he were stronger…

Kiyomi screamed for her mother, tears pouring out of her eyes like a waterfall, struggling against the much stronger and larger men that held her. Kyouya screamed along with his sister, tears staining his face and saliva dribbling out of his mouth uncontrollably. They were both scared, so damn scared of what would happen to their parents, of what would happen to them.

Their mother was screaming, their father was screaming, all of them were screaming. But there was nothing they could do. Nothing…

What seemed like hours later, but was only minutes, the men finally had their sick fill of Keiko's body and one of them brought out a sleek black firearm from the depths of their coat. Kyou's eyes widened and he struggled even harder against his bonds, his screams getting hoarse but having no effect on his assailants. He watched as the man, almost in slow motion, pointed the barrel of the gun at Keiko's head. Kiyomi and Kyouya had stopped screaming for their mother, but were still choking on sobs and hiccuping. Kyou was also crying, despair seeping into his heart as he watched the woman he loved mouth her last words to him.

"_I love you."_

And then the shot rang out and Hibari Keiko was alive no more.

Kyou screamed again despite the rawness of his throat. He writhed almost manically against the men holding them down. Despair and white hot anger warred inside him. He wanted to kill. He wanted to sob in defeat. He wanted to save his children. Oh, his _children_…

The suit clad man who had killed Keiko nodded at the men who were holding the two younger Hibari's down. They had fallen silent when the sound of the bullet leaving the gun rang out, their faces frozen into looks of shock. The men let go of them and prepared to beat them as well, furthering their torture on Kyou. But that had been the mistake that led to their downfall.

The moment they were free, the children moved. Kiyomi threw out a strong kick at her closest assailant, catching him right between the legs and causing him to grunt in pain. Kyouya did the same, only catching his own assailant in the shin and actually managing to break it. The other men were shocked for half a second before they lunged at the children, raising their weapons and fists. But, shockingly, the children were faster and managed to land blows on them. Sickening cracks rang through the air and screams of pain followed. The men seemed just a bit frightened, wondering how the children could be so fast and strong, but they still attacked them nonetheless. Despite the strength and speed of the two youngest Hibari's, they still caught punches and kicks and blunt weapons to the face and stomachs and legs. And yet, they were silent, not even crying out in pain and still retaliated as if the blows didn't bother them.

Kyou stared in astonishment at his two children. He wasn't sure, but he could see flickers of purple appearing on his children's hands and feet and even on their foreheads. It was so amazing, seeing them fight against bigger and stronger opponents and taking their injuries in stride. But it scared him too. Why were they acting like that? And why were they so unresponsive? What was happening to them?

In the midst of the fighting, Kyou noticed the man holding the only gun swear as he pointed the barrel at the moving children, trying to get a good shot. Anger surged up in Kyou's chest again. No. No, he was not going to sit by and watch another of his loved ones get killed. He was strong, he was a Hibari, he was going to save his children even if it was the last thing he did!

Moments passed. The fighting continued. The opponents dwindled, most of them knocked out by the surprising strength of the Hibari children. The lone gun-wielding man finally saw a clear shot for the little boy and he squeezed the trigger, releasing one, two, three bullets in quick succession, hoping that at least one of them would find their target. A body fell, with three bullets holes in his chest and blood oozing out of them.

It wasn't the boy though. It was Kyou.

Before the gun-wielding man could even wonder how the man escaped from his hold and swear at failing to kill one child first, a harsh strike to the back of his neck caused him to fall unconscious to the ground. Behind his fallen body stood an impassive Kiyomi, eyes blank and unfocused, her father's tonfas in her grip. Stowing one away, she reached down to grip the gun and point it at the prone body at her feet. It was heavier than a steel tonfa, but it didn't seem to bother her one bit. She put her finger on the trigger and squeezed, firing off the remaining rounds at the man's back, not even recoiling at the force of the shots.

When the gun was empty of bullets, she let it fall into the puddle of crimson blood that was slowly spreading at her feet. She almost looked mesmerized at the sight, but she was soon reminded of her little brother when there was a grunt of pain nearby. Lifting her head, she saw that Kyouya was all right so far, having just knocked out the last assailant. She walked past her brother, knowing that he would follow her to the fallen body of their father.

Kyou was still holding onto the last threads of his life when he saw his two children stand over him. Their impassive and blood-splattered forms struck fear into his heart. The sight brought more tears to his eyes and he mourned for the loss of his children's innocence. He knew they were never going to be the same again and the thought tore his heart apart.

"Ki… Kiyo… mi…" he rasped, his breathing irregular and his hands trembling as he reached up at his children. "K… Kyou… ya…"

The two knelt at his sides, faces still impassive, eyes still unfocused, detached from the world yet still somehow aware of what was going on. It only made Kyou choke on his tears, the despair welling up inside him now.

"Ta… Take… care… of each… other…" he whispered, placing his hands gently on their cheeks. He smiled weakly when he felt them lean into his touch. It was a small comfort that they at least understood what he said and still yearned for him. "I… I'm sorry… so sorry…"

It was only seconds later that Kyou's breathing stopped and his hands fell limply to the ground, eyes going hazy in his death. Kiyomi and Kyouya's expressions, or lack thereof, never changed, but tears fell from their eyes again, showing that in their hearts they were stricken with grief. Slowly they laid their head down against their father's still chest, ignoring the blood that soaked his shirt, and promptly passed out to the sounds of blaring sirens.

* * *

**A/N:** Long and sad chapter is long and sad. Told you it seems quite unrealistic, but eh, it's my story. I'll do what I want with it… And it seems that I have a tiny little plot in here. Heh, it's not just humor any more, but that will return in due time. There is now a story arc. Chapters might get longer, but again, it's my story. Nothing you can do about it, LOL. Hope you enjoyed or at least shed a tear or two because of our poor little Hibari's.

And if you're wondering… Kiyomi and Kyouya went berserk once they witnessed their mother die. It happens all the time… in anime XP. And why only one bad guy had a gun? That will be answered in a later chapter. Just be patient, yeah?


	11. Alone

**Chapter:** XI

**Title:** Alone

**A/N:** The last chapter was probably the most angst-filled thing I have ever written. Ever. And though it was rather tame (and lame if I may criticize myself) I don't think I can bring myself to write another one. I can only deal with angst in small doses. Sometimes though I wish I was a stronger person...

* * *

It had been months since the incident. After long weeks in the hospital, Kiyomi and Kyouya were taken in by their grandparents, Hibari Kyouharu and Fuyuki. They were strict people who held on firm to tradition, always wearing kimonos and practicing traditional arts like calligraphy, ikebana, and the tea ceremony. But both the children knew that despite the stern and nearly cold aura they project around them, they still loved and had emotions like normal people.

Kiyomi remembers peeking into a room and seeing her grandmother crying over one of her father's old kimonos, one he had worn as a child.

Kyouya remembers seeing his grandfather staring at their family picture that hung on the wall, a look of utter loss in his eyes.

And at their parents' funeral, Kyouharu had to clutch onto Fuyuki to prevent her from collapsing in her grief while futilely trying to stem his own tears.

Both Kiyomi and Kyouya knew that they weren't alone in their grieving. They had each other, they had their grandparents, and they had all loved Kyou and Keiko.

But somehow... they still felt as if they were alone and the only ones crying for their mother and father.

* * *

**A/N:** And now I have to rethink my opinion on my most angst-filled piece. Maybe this is the one? I don't even know where this came from... just sat in front of my computer, told myself to write, and this popped out. Writing at night is really much better for me.

Oh look! A Hibari whose name doesn't start with a k! LOL, can't have them all have names starting with k now do we? After all, Fuyuki married into the family. XP


	12. Comfort

**Chapter:** XII

**Title:** Comfort

**A/N:** I found the most adorable picture of a little Kyouya who was snuggled up in his bed and had tears in his eyes. It was completely adorable yet absolutely heart-breaking. I thought it was a perfect image for this chapter. You can find the picture here at post/20627663244/baby-hibari and yes it is my Tumblr page.

* * *

Kiyomi jerked awake. For a moment she stared up at the ceiling of her room, not sure why she actually awoke. She couldn't remember having any nightmares and the night was quiet. Or at least it was until she heard a small snuffle from her side. Turning her head, she caught sight of her little brother, buried in his futon with only the top of his head peeking out form the covers. For a moment it was silent until she heard the snuffle again and she knew that it was coming from her baby brother.

"Kyou-chan?" she whispered as she pushed herself into a sitting position. The mound beneath Kyouya's covers jerked a little before stilling. "Kyou-chan, I can hear you. Did you have a bad dream?"

Kyouya didn't move for a while and Kiyomi had the thought that perhaps her brother was crying in his sleep. But then the covers were removed so that Kyouya could peek out from under them. Kiyomi's heart tugged painfully when she saw her brother's big watery eyes and the tears that stained his round cheeks. It was such a heart wrenching sight, especially considering what they had gone through just a few months prior.

"Oh, what's wrong otouto?" Kiyomi asked as she went over to her brother's side.

"I… I'm all alone…" Kyouya sniffled, trying not to cry but failing miserably.

Kiyomi's face fell. "No you're not Kyou-chan. You have me and Ojiisama and Obaasama here with you. You're not alone."

The little boy just sniffled, more tears falling from his eyes. Kiyomi, not knowing any other way to comfort her little brother, slid under his covers next to him and wrapped her arms around the boy's shaking body, letting him cry on her shoulder.

"You're not alone Kyou-chan. You're not alone…"

* * *

**A/N:** The perfect song for this chapter is probably You're Not Alone by Saosin. Such a great song… Also I'm thinking of making an appropriate summary for this series, but can't come up with anything. Any suggestions?


	13. Uncertain

**Chapter:** XIII

**Title:** Uncertain

**A/N:** I want to give a shout out to Jasmin Liertha who gave me a really great review last chapter. S/he critiqued me, complimented me, gave me good advice, told me where that cute picture of Kyou-chan came from (apparently a D18 doujinshi), and helped me with the new summary! So Jasmin, this is for you! X3

* * *

The sun was shining down on the cemetery and Kiyomi fidgeted slightly in her black kimono, not really liking how restricting and hot it was. Today, on the anniversary of her parents' death, she and her remaining family were visiting her parents' graves to pay their respects. They cleaned the grave markers, placed fresh flowers and incense, then clapped their hands together in prayer. After that, they stood in silence, remembering happier times and feeling the aching loss that would never go away.

Kiyomi looked over at Kyouya, who stood in silence at her side, not even fidgeting in his own black kimono. A flicker of worry shone in Kiyomi's eyes. Ever since that incident, Kyouya had become more and more introverted. He was no longer the boisterous little boy that everyone knew. He was quiet, kept mostly to himself, and when Kiyomi coaxed him out to play, he seemed distant and uninterested.

It broke Kiyomi's heart, knowing that the brother she knew and loved was slowly slipping away.

Turning back to her parents' graves, she put her hands together and prayed again.

_Touchan, Kachan, it's me again. Sorry to bother you so soon, but I wanted to ask... what do I do with Kyou-chan? He hardly ever smiles these days and it seems that all he wants to do is train with Ojiisama._

Kiyomi bit her lip at what she was going to say next.

I_ heard him talking to your pictures the other day. He says that he's going to avenge your deaths by killing the ones who killed you. I didn't even know he knew such things! It's scaring me, Touchan, Kachan! What if he never smiles again? What if he'll forever be angry and vengeful? I don't want that! I want my otouto back! I want to smile and laugh and play with him again!_

Kiyomi shut her eyes tight, willing her tears not to fall.

_I don't know what to do... I just want things to go back to the way they were. I just want Kyou-chan to be happy again..._

_Help me... I don't know what to do... Help me, please..._


	14. Happy Birthday

**Chapter:** XIV

**Title:** Happy Birthday

**A/N:** It's Kyouya's birthday. And I'm letting up on the angst a bit. Also, that plot I mentioned a while back? Er, it might not be as big as I thought... oh well. This focuses on Kyouya and Kiyomi anyway. Can't have anyone else stealing the spotlight, lol.

* * *

On the day of May 5, Kyouya was woken by his smiling sister who softly sung him the Happy Birthday song. Kyouya didn't see what was so happy about his birthday, but seeing his sister smiling and singing at him made him swallow his words. He might be sad that his parents were not there to celebrate his seventh birthday with him, but that didn't mean he should take out his anger on Kiyomi. After all, the older girl was only trying to make him happy and if Kyouya was honest to himself, he really appreciated the gesture.

After the two siblings had breakfast with their grandparents (who both greeted Kyouya on his special day with smiles on their faces as well) the four Hibari's filed out to the yard where a bamboo pole that wasn't there the day before rose out of the ground. Feeling a little bit more excited, Kyouya took the carp kite that his grandmother handed to him and watched as his grandfather hung a much larger carp kite on the bamboo pole first. Kyouya knew that, as tradition dictated, the largest kite that represented the patriarch of the household went first, then the slightly smaller carp kite that represented the matriarch (in the Hibari's case, Fuyuki) came next, followed by progressively smaller carp kites representing Kiyomi and Kyouya.

Once the kites were hung, the family stepped back and looked up at them in satisfaction. Kyouya was still a little sad that his father and mother weren't there to celebrate with them like the years before, but at least the tradition wasn't broken. And besides, he had his sister and his grandparents. That was all right.

With the kite hanging finished, the family went back into the house to get ready. They left home to go to a temple where Kyouya was blessed and the family prayed for his health and happiness. Afterwards they went to the cemetery to visit Kyou and Keiko. Kyouya prayed to his parents, promising that he would find the person who killed them like he always did. He didn't notice his sister giving him a sad little smile.

Once their visit was over, Kyouharu and Fuyuki took the children out for a special treat. They brought the kids to a festival where they played games, won prizes, and ate good food (their favorite being mochi wrapped in oak leaves). Kyouya found himself having fun for the first time in a long while and Kiyomi was visibly delighted with the change in her brother.

When they got home, they had a big dinner in honor of Kyouya's special day and a yummy chocolate cake was brought in for dessert. Kiyomi proudly exclaimed that she helped their grandmother bake it. Kyouya expressed his doubt on how edible the cake would be, earning him an indignant yell from his sister which in turn caused him to snicker good-naturedly.

Once the candles were lit and the birthday song was sung, Kyouya posed to blow out the flames. In his mind he knew that he had to make a wish and the first thing that came to his mind was revenge for his parents. However, after taking in his sister's grin and his grandparents' proud expression, he changed his mind at the last second.

_I wish everyday could be like this._

* * *

**A/N:** Apparently, May 5 is not only Kyouya's birthday, but also a national Japanese holiday called Children's Day (formerly Boy's Day) and it is part of Golden Week which I've always wondered what the date was. I put in a few Children's Day traditions (hanging carp kites/streamers on a bamboo pole outside the house and eating mochi wrapped in oak leaves) and I will admit I wrote this on a bit of a rush, since I can see that this chapter wasn't very emotionally pleasing. Eh, it's fine that way… some chapters are just shitter then others, lol.


	15. Carnivore

**Chapter:** XV

**Title:** Carnivore

**A/N:** I think I really loved writing this chapter. I loved trying to get into a seven-year-old Kyouya's mindset, even though he is more mature then normal kids his age. There are also some subtle hints in this. At least I hope they're subtle, lol.

* * *

Kyouya stared at the page in his book, his ears not registering his teacher's lecture. Staring back at him from his book was a lion, standing tall and regal in the African Savannah. Behind the lion and a little to the left was the setting sun, just halfway down the horizon. It cast an orange glow across the plains, making everything in the picture – including the lion – look like it was on fire. It was a beautiful sight and a beautiful picture, but that wasn't what Kyouya was thinking about.

Earlier, his teacher was talking about the kinds of animals and the way they were sorted into three categories based on what they eat. The plant-eaters, like some birds and a lot of mammals, were called herbivores. The meat-eaters, like most predators such as lions and wolves, were called carnivores. And those who ate both plants and animals, like some mammals and humans, were called omnivores.

However to Kyouya, it seemed that these animals were categorized according to their strength. To him, the herbivores were weak because they don't fight other animals for their meat. The carnivores were the strongest animals, those who were relentless and intimidating. The omnivores, well, they were the fence-sitters and perhaps they had the potential to be ruthless carnivores, but Kyouya didn't want to focus on them.

Carnivores. They intrigued him. He wanted to be as strong as them, as tough as them, as ruthless as them. If he became a carnivore, he can defeat the weak herbivores in his way. If he became a carnivore, he can become the strongest of them all. If he became a carnivore…

He can finally punish the man who destroyed his family.

_Well… I better get training then!_


	16. Herbivore

**Chapter:** XVI

**Title:** Herbivore

**A/N:** I don't think this even needs an explanation. It has more "subtle" hints too. XD

* * *

The first thought that flitted through Kyouya's mind was, _He looks like a hamster._

And truly, the boy did look like some small herbivorous creature. He was all spiky brown hair, round, nearly bulbous brown eyes, chubby cheeks, and pouty lips. He was small too, really quite tiny, just a little over two-thirds of Kyouya's height even though Kyouya was one of the shortest kids in his class. Really, if he wasn't wearing the kindergarten uniform, Kyouya would have mistaken him for a toddler.

The boy crouched under the tree where Kyouya found him, the contents of his bento scattered across the ground in front of him where older and larger bullies had "dropped" and stepped on it. The boy's cheeks were rosy red and stained with tears, snot ran from his nose, and his eyes dripped even more tears as he cried. It made Kyouya's heart twinge a little because it was such a pitiful sight and he couldn't just stand there doing nothing…

"Oi, stop crying."

Smooth Kyouya. Real smooth…

The boy looked up, startled, and when his eyes landed on the older boy he made a small "eep" sound and quickly wiped his tears and snot away on the sleeve of his jacket. That made Kyouya's lip curl in disgust and he shoved a hand into his pocket, taking out the handkerchief that his grandmother had taught him to always carry.

"Don't do that, it's gross," Kyouya said, handing the handkerchief to the boy. "Here, wipe your face with this."

The boy's eyes widened even more (so much that Kyouya thought his eyeballs would pop out of his head) and he glanced in between the handkerchief and Kyouya's face for a moment before hesitantly taking the former. He wiped his face carefully and blew his nose before moving to hand the handkerchief back to Kyouya, but the older boy held a hand up, stopping the younger boy's movements.

"You keep it," he said, lip curling again. "I have more at home."

The boy looked a little skeptical, but he accepted the unintended gift, putting it into the front pocket of his school shirt. As he did that, Kyouya gathered the empty bento box, putting it together and retying the handkerchief it came with. There was nothing he could do about the food scattered about, though he made a mental note to tell the janitor about it.

Kyouya handed the empty bento box back to the little boy, who accepted it with a quiet murmur of thanks. The sad, dejected look in those soulful brown eyes tugged at Kyouya's heartstrings again and, before he knew it, the older boy was opening his own bento box, taking out two onigiri and a few pieces of tempura to place on a napkin. The smaller boy didn't notice his actions until Kyouya shoved the food-filled napkin under his nose, making him jump in surprise.

"Take it," Kyouya said, shoving the food into the smaller boy's hands despite the shaking head and refusing expression. "You need it more than I do."

With his good deed done, Kyouya stood up and made to walk away, but he stopped when he heard a small voice speak up.

"A-Ano… thank you niisan," the smaller boy said, cheeks flushing red and looking incredibly shy. "Ah, I-I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi, but everyone calls me Tsuna. What's your name?"

Kyouya stared at the boy for a long moment, making Tsuna fidget at the scrutiny. "Hibari Kyouya," he said at last and then he walked away, ending their meeting and not even heeding the smaller boy's pleas to not go. Kyouya considered himself a carnivore, so it would be bad to be hanging around an herbivore.

However, he had to admit… herbivores are awfully cute….


	17. Popsicle

**Chapter:** XVII

**Title:** Popsicle

**A/N:** Been a while eh? Got into a little writer's block, but I'm back now! Hope you like a little sibling bonding. I know I do :3

* * *

Kiyomi sighed as she lightly dabbed an alcohol-soaked cotton ball onto the cut that decorated her brother's face, clicking her tongue when Kyouya winced a little. It was the third time in two days that Kyouya had gotten into a fight and had come home with cuts and bruises all over his body. Their grandparents were nearly up in arms at the why's and how's but Kyouya refused to talk to them about him. Kiyomi, however, knew that her little brother was only picking those fights just to get stronger. And he had, seeing as he was able to beat five twelve-year-olds into the dirt all by his lonesome.

"I wish you would stop picking these fights," Kiyomi said, sticking a band-aid over the cut with perhaps a bit more force than she intended. She got a wince and glare for her actions but she didn't apologize.

"You know why I'm doing this," Kyouya said, his usual scowl appearing on his lips.

"I know. I just wish you wouldn't."

The siblings fell silent after that, with Kiyomi continuing to treat her brother's wounds while he winced every now and then. Once each cut and bruise was sufficiently treated, Kiyomi put the first aid kit back to where it belonged and returned to her brother's room bearing two brightly colored popsicle sticks. She handed one to Kyouya – who took it without a word – and they both sat outside, watching the sky turn into a bright orange as the sun began to set.

"Mm, in any case, congratulations on beating those kids," Kiyomi said suddenly, grinning at her brother. "Were they tough?"

"Hmph, they were weak herbivores," Kyouya mumbled around his purple popsicle, idly swinging his dangling feet.

"I bet," Kiyomi laughed. Despite her worry over her brother's actions, Kiyomi was genuinely proud of Kyouya's growth strength-wise. "You're getting real famous now you know? You don't have an official nickname yet, but practically everyone knows you as 'the kid who kicks everyone's butt' or something like that."

"That's lame. I don't want herbivores crowding around me."

"Then I guess you just have to beat them back before they do eh?"

"Mn."

Again, the two fell into a comfortable silence, licking their treats and watching as the sky gradually darkened into purple.


End file.
